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Paul Gulino
Paul “Brass” or “Paulie” Gulino (Born ?– Murdered July 25, 1993) was a former associate and hitman for the Bonanno Crime Family and Gambino Crime Family. He was the leader of the notoriously violent Bath Avenue Crew which was one of the most feared hit squad's for the Bonanno Crime Family, The Bath Avenue Crew was a ruthless and efficient hit squad for the Bonanno crime family, and was a brutal Italian-American gang worked for the Bonanno crime family and the gang terrorized the streets of Brooklyn in the early 1990s. The Bath Avenue Crew made millions of dollars for the Bonanno crime family thru extortion, loan sharking, bank robbery, armed robbery, burglary, theft heist's, hijacking, chop shops, fraud, prostitution, weapons trafficking and drug trafficking. Bath Avenue Crew Gulino and his friends grew up in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn. During his childhood Gulino and his friends grew up around wise guys and did work for them. Gulino and his friends decided to form their own crew and became known as the Bath Avenue Crew. The original founding members included Gulino, *James Calandra (Jimmy Gap) *Thomas Reynolds (Tommy) *Joseph Calco (Joey the Zip) *Fabrizio DeFrancisci Other Bath Avenue Crew members: *Nicholas "Nicky" Tuzzio *Michael "Mikey Y." Yammine *William "Applehead" Galloway *Chris Paciello *Anthony Gonzalez Seven members of the crew, including Gulino, got their ankles tattooed with numbers. "We're devoted to getting our button from the Bonanno family." Gulino and his crew carried out various criminal acts for Bonanno consigliere Anthony Spero and Bonanno gangster Joseph Benanti. They were involved in bank robbery, home invasions, hijacking, chop shops, auto theft, burglary, prostitution, human trafficking, weapons trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnapping, witness intimidation, jury intimidation, assault, rape, bombing, contract killing, assassinations, murder, arson, torture, death threats, loan sharking, and extortion. Bickelman Murder In 1991, Bonanno family street boss Anthony Spero ordered the murder of Vincent Bickelman, a burglar from Brooklyn who had broken into the home of one of Spero’s daughters. Bickelman had made off with jewelry and a fur coat that were later found in his apartment. Gulino accepted the Bickelman hit to help get him inducted into the Bonanno family. Bickelman was found dead on September 15, 1991 with six bullet wounds to his body. Death In 1993, Gulino broke one of the cardinal rules of the Italian-American Mafia; never touch a made man. Gulino and the Bath Avenue Crew became involved in a dispute with a powerful and notoriously violent crew of the Colombo Crime Family, yet, the violence between the two brutal crews became so extreme and deadly that Anthony Spero, a powerful and well-respected Consigliere in the Bonanno Crime Family stepped in to resolve the violence. Spero had a sit down with the administration of the Colombo Crime Family and both families agreed to put the violence behind them. Gulino became upset by Spero’s action because he felt that Spero should’ve supported and defended them. Gulino's anger towards Spero was escalating, and Gulino felt betrayed because he kept getting passed over for membership in the Bonanno crime family, Gulino also felt like Spero should be showing more gratitude towards him due to all of the money that Gulino has made for Spero and all of the people that Gulino has killed for him. When Gulino confronted Spero on the Brooklyn streets about this, he became so angry during the heat of the argument that he pushed Spero. Spero then turned his back on Gulino and Spero ordered his own friends and fellow crew members to kill Gulino. This action officially signed his death sentence. Spero gave the order to kill him. Gulino went into hiding and holed up in his apartment in Harlem. The only people he trusted were two of his friends. As a result, two of his closest and seemingly trusted friends and crew members, Thomas Reynolds and Joseph Calco, were sent to kill him. One morning in 1993, after letting them into his apartment, Calco and Reynolds shot Gulino six times in the back and head as he was getting them some drinks from the kitchen. A couple of weeks later, Gulino’s parents found him shot to death in their kitchen. Aftermath In 2001, former Bath Avenue Crew members such as James Calandra, Joseph Calco and many other turncoats testified against Spero. Calco claimed that Spero was the one who gave the order to get rid of the boss of his crew. People Killed by Paul Gulino 1). Vincent Bickelman/1991/ Burglar/ Killed because he broke into and stole from a family member of Colombo family acting boss. References http://americanmafiahistory.com/anthony-old-man-spero/ Inside the American Mob Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q1bYrHvryE http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/mobster-tells-killing-boss-article-1.938235 Category:Associates Category:Bonnano Crime Family Category:Gambino Crime Family. Category:Murdered Mobsters